Camra cancels Britain’s biggest beer festival next year amid ‘budget shortfalls’

Great British Beer Festival called off as real ale enthusiasts’ group reports rising costs and stagnant membership

Camra, the real ale enthusiasts’ group, has cancelled Britain’s biggest beer festival amid an existential crisis as it launched a cost-cutting drive to address “budget shortfalls”.

In an email to members of the Campaign for Real Ale, seen by the Guardian, the embattled organisation said it was responding to a “stark picture” of its finances, caused by rising costs and stagnant membership numbers.